Michigan teen already moving up country charts

December 16, 2005|JACK WALTON Tribune Correspondent

In country music, the girls start early. Dolly Parton was only 21 when her single "Dumb Blonde" made the country charts. "Queen for a Day" earned national attention for an 18-year-old Barbara Mandrell, and, at 13, Tanya Tucker scored big with "Delta Dawn." Thirteen-year-old Michigan native Crystal Lynn is equally precocious. The title track of her third CD, "It's More Fun To Be a Girl," recently rose to No. 37 on Power Source Music Magazine's Indie Country chart. On the Artists International Independent Radio chart, it climbed even higher, reaching No. 6. She appears at The Livery in Benton Harbor today. "At the Livery, I'll be playing some songs that will be on my fourth album," Lynn says by telephone from her family's home in Lake Orion, Mich. At 11, she released her self-titled debut CD. "Christmas with Crystal Lynn" followed a year later. Although other songwriters have provided her with material so far, her next CD -- slated for 2006 -- will consist entirely of Lynn's own compositions. Needless to say, her fans should not expect country clichés about whiskey and prison. What, however, does inspire her to compose? "Sometimes when I'm feeling kind of down, or something's going wrong, I'll write about it," she says. "Or people who mean a lot to me, I'll write about them." Lynn also tours, usually in the Midwest. A recent gig at the legendary Tootsie's Orchid Lounge in Nashville, Tenn., showcased the young singer in the industry's capital. She enjoys the traveling and sightseeing but keeps music at the core of the experience. "Usually, when we're on the road driving, I'll bring a beat-up guitar along," Lynn says. "I'll bring it out and we'll sing road songs and have fun with that. My favorite thing to do when we're going to different states is playing at open-mike nights. It's kind of like practice for me." At most venues, the 13-year-old wows her audiences, belting out tunes with the composure of a veteran. Already, however, she's experienced some petty jealousy. "At one place, they turned down (the microphone for) my voice when I was singing. They were kind of embarrassed, because my voice was more mature than everyone else's. We just laughed," she says. "That kind of stuff is just stupid." Next year, Lynn will tour England, continental Europe and Australia. "I'm only 13, so I'm not in any rush, but I hope that in a few more years, I can be big like Martina McBride or Faith Hill," she says. "I hope to become big. But if I don't, it's cool. I can always play around and have fun."